All Lutherie articles
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FocusThe Strad Calendar 2027: c.1694 ‘Ovcharov’ Stradivari violin
One of Stradivari’s Long Pattern instruments, the violin has a false label incorrectly dating it to 1705
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Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: A 1948 violin by Zenon Wladimir Petesh
Bruce Braun Babbitt inspects the US maker’s mid-century instrument
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FocusThe Strad Calendar 2027: 1705–10 ‘Maurer, van Veen, Elphinstone’ Stradivari violin
A fine example of Stradivari’s ‘golden period’, the instrument has a two-piece back of gloriously flamed maple
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Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Reinforcing a violin bridge with carbon rods
A method to improve the bridge’s durability and long-term reliability
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Blogs‘A well-oiled engine that’s ready to go’: what cello does Sterling Elliott play?
In an excerpt from our November 2026 cover article, Sterling Elliott discusses his treasured instrument, a 1741 Gennaro Gagliano cello named ‘Ginger’
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FocusThe Strad Calendar 2027: 1727 ‘Iwasaki’ Stradivari cello
Named after Japanese cellist Ko Iwasaki, the instrument has recently been loaned to Norwegian cellist Truls Mørk
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FocusThe Strad Calendar 2027: c.1720 ‘Karl Klingler’ Stradivari violin
With a fascinating two-piece back, this violin contains wood from the same tree as that used for the celebrated ‘Macdonald’ Stradivari viola
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Premium ❘ FeatureMaking Matters: The curious case of the underslide
Mika Seifert uncovers evidence that the so-called ‘Hill slide’ might not have been created at the British-based violin firm at all, but may in fact have been an invention of W.A. Pfretzschner
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Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Making a custom cutter for a second-hole bushing
Adam Goltry introduces a specialised tool for bow makers to use when carrying out a tricky repair job
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Premium ❘ FeatureRatios and rulers: instrument geometry
How did the old Italian makers measure out their instrument patterns? David Beard reveals evidence showing that they made use of both ratios and the standard measurements used at the time
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FocusThe Strad Calendar 2027: 1710 Stradivari violin
The ‘golden period’ violin is currently played by the Danish National Symphony Orchestra’s concertmaster Ludvig Gudim
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Premium ❘ FeatureMy Space: Manuel Ramírez’s San Salvador workshop
The luthier presents his El Salvador shop
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Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: An 1830 violin by Giuseppe Dall’Aglio
Claudio Amighetti examines the 19th-century instrument
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Video‘The Final Bow’: documentary short exploring the fate of pernambuco
The film looks at efforts to conserve the tree, regarded as an iconic symbol of Brazil, and its use by bow makers worldwide
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FocusThe Strad Calendar 2027: c.1725 ‘Da Vinci’ Stradivari violin
One of two Stradivari violins named after the Renaissance genius, the c.1725 ’Da Vinci’ is played by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s David Coucheron
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Premium ❘ FeatureThe Strad Calendar 2027: Norway’s pride and joy
The Strad Calendar 2027 features eleven Stradivari instruments, all taken from the collection of the Anders Sveaas Charitable Foundation. Christian Lloyd examines the treasures
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Premium ❘ FeatureAn overlooked wonder: Pietro Barbieri
Despite having made only a handful of instruments in his career, Pietro Barbieri proved to be one of Mantua’s most accomplished luthiers. Philip Kass and Andrea Zanrè look into his life and examine an instrument from 1826
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Premium ❘ FeatureMy Space: Daniel King and Joe Roach’s Cardiff workshop
The two luthiers present their workshop in the Welsh capital
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Premium ❘ FeatureIn the midst of transition: the French transitional period – part two
In the second of two articles on the French transitional period, Florent Boyer examines the development of the violin in Paris between 1790 and 1830 – and how Nicolas Lupot’s influence proved to be seismic
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Premium ❘ FeatureMaking Matters: Achieving a glow from within
The varnish of many Cremonese makers seems to glow from within – but how did they achieve this without knowledge of optics? Tamás Guminár investigates – and argues that one secret ingredient may be kaolin
